I am on a mission to recognize and develop sacred spaces in my life, not only for myself, but for others as well.
This week I found a new space, one that reflected back to me the enchanted realm of this existence.
My husband, Scott, and I finally got around to taking our honeymoon.
Rather than travel to some exotic locale, we stayed in a remodeled farm house rental on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.
While those with a drive for higher sensory stimulation like dancing to loud music in a nightclub or ziplining will likely be confused by this, it was the perfect destination for our quiet, nature-loving souls.
Our home base provided plenty of refreshment with its open space, gentle winds, mild temperatures and sunny skies.
During our stay, we visited various waterfalls, and walked a labyrinth for the first time, something I have yearned to do for most of my adult life.
I guess you could say this became a “Garden of Eden” for us, where we lived in harmony with our environment, and deepened our soul bond in a quiet and secluded atmosphere.
As a descendant of farmers with Celtic blood running through my veins, I am spellbound by natural settings. They are where I feel most at “home.”
Celts are known for finding a spark of divinity in their landscape. They live enchanted lives among the rivers, stones, wells, trees and more with which they dwell.
“Thin spaces,” traditionally recognized as places where the spiritual and earthly realms secretly rendezvous, are as real to me as the ground on which I stand.
One example of this is a small bridge on a gravel road not far from my aunt’s home when I was growing up. Underneath the bridge was a small creek that meandered through a field. My cousins and I spent many lazy summer days at the bridge, climbing around the bridge and tossing pebbles in the water.
That bridge remains there today, and holds within it the laughter, conversations and spirit of our childhoods, more than 35 years later.
This bridge and the area around it are a sacred space for me, and I believe for my cousins as well.
The idea that matter and spirit collaborate to make space sacred is nothing new.
Ancient Greek philosophers identified four elements that comprise existence on our planet: Earth, fire, air and water.
A fifth element, spirit, though having no substance, is seen as a bridge between this world and the cosmos, and is often represented by a circle or spiral.
Through the millennia that have since transpired, scientists have studied the nature of matter, which has furthered scientific understanding.
Meanwhile, spiritual seekers have explored nature to understand matter as a tangible representation of the Divine Intelligence responsible for orchestrating it.
On our way home, Scott and I capped our “Eden” experience by stopping at the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, where great care and presence are given to provide patrons with a meditative experience.
Sacred spaces are everywhere.
They can be natural, architectural, or the ordinary spaces we inhabit each day.
And what makes a space sacred for one person might have no meaning for another.
We diminish our lives when we see our planet and outer space only through a utilitarian lens.
Where is your sacred space?
Look around you with open eyes, an open mind and an open heart.
It could be anywhere.
It is everywhere.
For another interesting take on sacred spaces, read “Sacred Space: Finding Meaning in Daily Life” by Peter Cashorali at https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sacred-space-finding-meaning-in-daily-life-0328164.
SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact Jerrilyn Zavada Novak at jzblue33@yahoo.com to share how you engage your spirit in your life and community.
